Deputies investigating after mailboxes damaged by homemade explosives in Rockingham County

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ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, N.C. -- Two homemade explosive devices were set off in Rockingham County and investigators think the same person made them both and planted them in different mailboxes.

The first explosion went off at about 9:45 p.m. Sunday on Bethlehem Church Road. Officers got a call about a second explosion that happened about 10 miles away on Snead Road just over an hour later.

The mailbox at the house on Bethlehem Church Road was destroyed, but just the door was blown off the mailbox on Snead Road.

The victims at both homes said they heard loud booms and saw lots of smoke. They also both heard a car with a loud muffler leaving the scene.

No one was hurt, but Rockingham County sheriff's deputies say homemade explosives can cause a lot of damage.

"There was no shrapnel attached to the device itself, but the shrapnel from the mailbox could have damaged someone," Lt. Grey Smith said. "The post splintered as well."

Investigators say they don't know why the suspect or suspects picked these two houses.

They did not want to release pictures of what these specific devices looked like because they say it could be key evidence in finding a suspect.

Investigators said homemade devices come in all shapes and sizes. They could look like a plastic pipe or even a tennis ball. They say you should call 911 if you see anything suspicious or see anyone tampering with a mailbox.

Using an explosive to destroy property is a felony and tampering with a mailbox is a federal charge.